SCOTT COUNTY TO DECIDE TAX FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

BENTON -- Scott County voters will decide two sales tax issues for law enforcement funding on the April 4 ballot.

The first measure would impose a countywide quarter-cent sales tax for county law enforcement services.

The tax would amount to 25 cents on a $100 purchase.

The second measure would impose the same sales tax rate to build a county jail.

The current sales tax rate for purchases in the county is 4.725 percent. Purchases made in Scott City are taxed at a rate of 5.975 percent while in Sikeston the rate is 6.225 percent.

The Scott County Commission placed the two sales tax issues on the ballot this week. Tuesday was the last day to certify issues for the April ballot.

County Clerk Rita Mila said, "The money is needed," and "the commissioners felt they needed to do something. The money's just not there anymore to take care of the needs."

The county now has a half-cent sales tax rate, and sales tax revenues are estimated at $1.34 million in the 1995 budget.

Using that estimate, another quarter-cent tax would generate $670,000. That much would be available for law enforcement services and the county would receive a similar amount for building a new jail.

The 1995 budget estimates expenditures in the sheriff's department at $402,000. Jail expenditures are estimated at $327,000. The two figures total $729,000.

The estimated $670,000 for law enforcement services would increase the sheriff's funding by 91 percent. If current estimates would stay the same, the sales tax would provide almost 48 percent of the combined budgets for the sheriff's department and jail operations.

As to funding a new county jail, the current structure has 48 beds. That is short of what's needed as several county prisoners are being housed in area jails, Sheriff Bill Ferrell has said in the past. He has also told county commissioners the jail needs major repairs and renovations.

The two sales tax measures join one other countywide issue and one state constitutional amendment on the April 4 ballot. Voters will also decide a property tax of 10 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for mental health funding. The constitutional amendment relates to county classifications.